Flying Start Degree Programme - Intern Milton Keynes Review

I worked as part of the audit team which meant that i was involved in audit engagements. Since this was my first placement and first ever experience working in audit I started with relatively simpler tasks and this involved the rolling forward of information from last years work, documenting comments, reviewing minutes and helping with bank confirmations. This was my personal experience and therefore day to day activities could vary depending on your office and engagement.

I have developed a number of skills but the most noticeable for me would be my skills with microsoft excel and other applications used. For me, i had never really used excel before however now i feel quite comfortable using it and know many shortcuts to make work much easier and efficient. My collaborative and team working skills have developed along since i was constantly working and communicating as part of a team. Finally my problem solving skills have developed a lot as you are encouraged to come up with solutions instead of just accepting things.

I enjoy my program a lot as i think it gives the best balance between still going to university and having a university experience whilst also getting a strong start to my career. That being said it can be quite challenging as the placements themselves are known to be stressful since we're working in busy season and we have only 2 terms to study for our exams instead of 3.

I think the program is structured very well. It is as follows: Year 1 = full time university with accredited exams for the ICAEW. Year 2 = 1st term university, 2nd term placement (12 weeks long) and 3rd term university + exams. Again, these exams will have accredited status for the ICAEW. Year 3 = same as year 2 Year 4 = same as year 2 and 3 but with a slightly longer placement (16 weeks) which starts at the end of 1st term instead of the start of 1st term. After all of this, if you receive a 2:1 classification and do well on your placements it's very likely you receive a job offer.

My employer is very helpful as they have a range of support in place for us. We have a career coach as regular contact for any career related aspects, a flying start champion who has recently graduated and thus knows our situation very well and we also have many contacts such as resourcing and managers avaliable who are all very helpful.

Since our training provider is a university during our university course we receive a lot of support from them since we are a normal university student. Lectures and seminars are well run and cover the content well meaning we should be prepared for the exams. Everyone is very supportive and helpful.

The content that is covered gives us a good understanding of the overall picture of audit and why we are doing what we are doing however when we are working it is naturally a bit different from what we learn in the classroom. You can not be taught by a book for a lot of the things you are doing, but it is helpful nonetheless.

Yes there are. There are regular nights out / drinks to get involved in outside of work as well as sports events such as weekly football and other sports. I have only had experience with those that i have mentioned but i am aware that there are more and you can start an activity if you want to.

Yes

They are very supportive of you and the culture around their work and offices is very nice. There is a lot of support available to you and they help you get a massive head start in your career. They do care about you as a human as well as an employee.

Make sure that you are prepared for any questions and have a few business stories at the top of your mind that you find interesting and can talk about; business / global acumen is very good. Always have a willingness to learn and not just accept something as a simple ask, always try to understand it.